The present invention relates to a medium transferring mechanism mounted on a medium processor such as a check processor, printer, scanner or magnetic reader used for separating and transferring sheet-shaped mediums such as checks or recording sheets one by one. More particularly, the present invention relates to a medium transferring mechanism in which a shape of a medium inserting portion, into which sheet-shaped mediums are inserted, is improved so that the sheet-shaped mediums can be smoothly transferred.
In financial institutions such as a bank, marketable securities, which have been brought in, such as a check, a bill and so forth, are processed by a check processor so as to read out surface images and magnetic ink characters on the marketable securities. As a result of the reading, the marketable securities are classified. Since the electronic settlement has been widely accepted, the image data and the magnetic ink characters, which have been read out, are subjected to computer processing so as to manage the marketable securities. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-206362A discloses a similar check processor.
In general, a check inserting portion of the check processor is formed into a recessed-shape of a predetermined width, the upper and the rear portion of which are open. Therefore, a bundle of checks are inserted into the check inserting portion of the check processor from the upper or the rear side or from the obliquely upper side. In the check inserting portion, a medium separating mechanism is arranged which includes a feeding roller and a pressing member. Checks inserted into the check inserting portion are pressed against the feeding roller by the pressing member and a check coming into contact with the feeding roller is transferred from the check inserting portion into a narrow conveyance passage by the feeding roller.
In this case, it is desirable that the check inserting portion has a shape into which checks can be inserted into a proper position by a simple handling operation. For example, it is desirable that even when the checks are inserted by a single hand, it is possible to insert the checks into the check inserting portion under the condition that forward end portions of the checks in the transferring direction are arranged in order.
In the case where checks of a large size are inserted into the check inserting portion, upper end portions of the checks are protruded upward. In this case, when the checks are thin and tender, the portions of the checks protruding upward fall down in the lateral direction. In the case where the checks are transferred from a wide check inserting portion into a narrow check conveyance passage in this state, at a position before the check conveyance passage, upper side portions of the checks, which have fallen down, collide with a side of the check inserting portion. Therefore, it becomes impossible to transfer the checks anymore, that is, the checks come into a jamming state. In the case where folds are formed in the lateral direction in the upper end portions of the checks, the same problems may be encountered.